Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rewards and Fairies
and hearing talk about ‘em. One of our forecas’le six-pound- and red-brick houses and all the green leaves o’ God’s world
ers was called Danton and t’other Marat. I used to play the waiting for me outside.
fiddle between ‘em, sitting on the capstan. Day in and day ‘“What’s this?” I said to the sick-bay man—Old Pierre
out Bompard and Monsieur Genet talked o’ what France had Tiphaigne he was. “Philadelphia,” says Pierre. “You’ve missed
done, and how the United States was going to join her to it all. We’re sailing next week. “
finish off the English in this war. Monsieur Genet said he’d ‘I just turned round and cried for longing to be amongst
justabout make the United States fight for France. He was a the laylocks.
rude common man. But I liked listening. I always helped ‘“If that’s your trouble,” says old Pierre, “you go straight
drink any healths that was proposed—specially Citizen ashore. None’ll hinder you. They’re all gone mad on these
Danton’s who’d cut off King Louis’ head. An all-Englishman coasts—French and American together. ’Tisn’t my notion o’
might have been shocked—but that’s where my French blood war.” Pierre was an old King Louis man.
saved me.
‘My legs was pretty tottly, but I made shift to go on deck,
‘It didn’t save me from getting a dose of ship’s fever though, which it was like a fair. The frigate was crowded with fine
the week before we put Monsieur Genet ashore at Charles- gentlemen and ladies pouring in and out. They sung and they
ton; and what was left of me after bleeding and pills took the waved French flags, while Captain Bompard and his offic-
dumb horrors from living ‘tween decks. The surgeon, ers—yes, and some of the men—speechified to all and sun-
Karaguen his name was, kept me down there to help him dry about war with England. They shouted, “Down with En-
with his plasters—I was too weak to wait on Bompard. I gland!” — “Down with Washington!” — “Hurrah for France
don’t remember much of any account for the next few weeks, and the Republic!” I couldn’t make sense of it. I wanted to get
till I smelled lilacs, and I looked out of the port, and we was out from that crunch of swords and petticoats and sit in a
moored to a wharf-edge and there was a town o’ fine gardens field. One of the gentlemen said to me, “Is that a genuine cap
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